JD Tisdale feels moving to Swartz Creek will help his basketball career take off. (File)

SWARTZ CREEK, Michigan — JD Tisdale just wanted a chance. He wanted a chance for a better life, and an opportunity to unleash his skills on the basketball court.

Transferring to Swartz Creek from Flint Northern is going to provide those chances, says the junior point guard.

Granted, Tisdale is in a new environment. Finding his niche at a new school is going to be a difficult obstacle to overcome in itself — let alone doing so on the Dragons varsity basketball team.

But the 6-foot-5 point man has never backed down from a challenge. Leaving Flint may have been the best thing for him, both academically and athletically.

Students in Swartz Creek likely never had to wake up to gunshots or the sounds of sirens ringing around their neighborhood. But Tisdale did.

“I’m just happy that I don’t have to worry about that type of stuff — what’s going on in Flint,” said Tisdale, who recently took an unofficial visit to Bowling Green University. “I was in the ’hood and trying to get out of there, all the kids in the streets. I was trying to get away from that environment and get an education. I can focus more on school now. Basketball will just fall in.”

The contrasts between Swartz Creek and Northern are obvious, says Tisdale. While he’ll miss those he grew up with, he’s ready to plunge head-first into a calmer scenario, albeit different from what he’s used to.

“Northern was a really difficult school for me to learn at with all the interruptions,” he said. “Swartz Creek has a better educational system. I wanted to get that to get prepared for college. The teachers at Swartz Creek really care about and teach you.”

It will take some time, but, eventually, Tisdale says he’ll get comfortable at Swartz Creek. And while getting a quality education is of the utmost importance to him, he’s not balking at the chance to prove that he’s one of the Flint area’s top prospects of the 2013 class.

“I know that I’ll be able to play my game and the coach’s (Jeremy Trent) game,” he said. “I’m playing point guard now. At Northern, I wasn’t really handling the ball. I was more on the wing, getting layups and put-backs. Now I get to bring the ball up the floor, and I like that.”

Tisdale hopes that he’s the missing piece the Dragons are looking for. Swartz Creek has been competitive the last few seasons in the Metro League, finishing second last year behind Fenton. And if the Dragons need Tisdale’s 6 foot, 5 inch frame in order to piece together a title team, so be it.

Because as far as he’s concerned, that piece might as well be him.

“I feel like I’m that missing piece,” he said. “It’s basically the same team (coming back) as last year. Playing with these kids; they like playing with me. We have a good connection. I want to be a leader. At Northern, I was a captain, but I couldn’t be a leader.”

But don’t take Tisdale’s comments the wrong way. There is a fine line between being overconfident and comfortable in one’s abilities. And Tisdale likes to stay on the safe side of that barrier. He’s not expecting to instantly be “the guy” at Swartz Creek. He certainly wouldn’t mind being the go-to player, but his game is predicated on getting others in the mix.

“I’m a pass-first (player), then a shooter,” he said. “I like to get others involved. I like to make people around me play better. But when the game is on the line, I want to be the one to step up and take over.”

Tisdale brings with him the bravado of a Division-I caliber player. Not only did he visit Bowling Green last week, but he was contacted Monday by Temple, he says. Western and Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Oakland and Drake have also expressed interest, too.

Having that hype surrounding a player is good for the Dragons program, and the Metro League, says Trent.

“I don’t know if there’s ever been a D-I player in the Metro League,” he said. “I know there hasn’t been at Swartz Creek. I know that. This is just great for entire league. Everyone’s bashed the Metro for years.”

Despite all the college interest, Tisdale isn’t ranked on Rivals.com. But he’s rated a two-star on ESPN’s recruit profile page. Not getting the respect he feels he deserves? No, not entirely true. Tisdale doesn’t see it that way. He just feels onlookers haven’t gotten a proper dose of his game.

“It motivates me that I’m not on (Rivals.com),” he said. “I’m underrated. Coming to Swartz Creek, I can get my shine and people can finally see me. I don’t want to get the big head, but I want to keep pushing and working hard.”